Game board



Aug. 28, 1934. A wlCKMAN 1,971,839

GAME BOARD Y Filed Jan. 3l, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 zo 1 v Z0 H Y I/ 23 2z jf QI z6"" 'l' Patented Aug. 28, 1934 Application January 31,

` 6i claims'. V(c1.'2'1s;r19)` This invention relates toi-a game board based on the wellknown gamey of hide-and'-se'ek.

The principalobjects ofthe inventionare to provide means whereby all-v of the features'ofsaid 5 game can be reproduced and-actedv out on' the game board;Y to *provider means whereby-each playercan hide a'pl'aying piece onV the board; means wherebyrthe'party who is It can try! in substantially theV usualway, togfind the hiding ill) places of these pieces; means whereby eachplayer has an opportunity to get In Free, and means for automatically sounding a signal in either event.

Other objects vand advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter. Y

Referenceis tol be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan of a board with a part of it broken away toshow interior construction below 20L and with parts in` section;

Fig. 2 Vis a side View ofthe board to'showv the position in which it is located; l I

Fig; 3 is a View of the electrical andmechanical connections underneath the board for giving the 25' two kinds of signals; f; Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional View on the line' 4 4 of Fig. 1, and g Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectionalview on thefline 5 5 of Fig. ,1. 30 The game boardV 10 is a'at board mountedb at an inclination atthe top of the'box 11' which supports it. It is provided with aseriesV of perforai tions 12 through'which the players introduce theirA game pieces for thepurpose of hiding them and a centralY perforatio'njlB at the' bottom through which the goal can' be seen. VThis constitutes the entire board, the perforations 12'being distributed aroundV in a more or less irregular manner, as in dicated.

A plate 14 underneath 4 the board' 1()- is located at the same angle so' as to be' spaceclfrom` it thesame distance at all points and'is also supported bythe box 11. This plate 14 is' provided with a central channel 1'5Y down" the center of it and-a series of branch channels 16 projecting upwardly from it in various directions and allslanting 'toward it from above.` -These'channels 16 are keither single or multiple and each one is provided `with an enlargement 17V directly under one oi the per- 505 forations 12. Each branch channel also is provided with an upwardly extending elbow 18 and with a depression or pocket 19 located at a lower level than the elbow and beyond it. This pocket has to be designed in certain proportions with re- '55` spect to the game pieces, These game pieces prefv1934, Serial. No. 709,153

erablyare inthe formof balls 20-of steel or other met'alfso` that-they conduct -electricity and have considerable weight, each being marked as by stamping anumeralv or letter upon'it.

Whenoneof these'rballs 20 is inserted in a Yhole' 12; and pushed toward the adjacent endrof the' board by the-player, it will pass around the elbow 18 'ofY that channel and Ydown into the pocket 19' where it comes to a; stopping place at the end of the 'pocket against -a metal plunger .21. VThis, 657 plunger islocated on a'rod- 22 which is slidable in a metal conducting collar 23` xediin stationary position. The rod is provided with a head 24 on the outside of' the plate 14 having a` spring 25 under'it tofhold itA back in the position shown in the drawings. Y 'In' the channel 16 atl azpointnearor: inthe elbowv is'aconducting stud 26 or rather thehead of' a' stud. The collars 23` are all connected with an electric wire Ior s e'ries` of wires 27-which pass 75: toza battery. 28 andthesej collars constitute one terminalof acircuit. The'studs 26 constitute the otherterminals' and all'are connected by similar' wires 29 with an electric bell-operating magnet at30. The other terminal of this mag- 80 net isconnected by a wire 31 with the battery 28.

Itwill be seen, therefore, that when, for any reason, one of the collars 23' is electrically connected .with one of the studs.26, thisrcircuit will be completed and themagnet at will operate a clapper 32 and soundv the bell'r33.

Now, *itA will be seen, that when a ball20 is placedv in a pocket in theposition shown in several places in Fig'. 1` andthe partyvwhois It pushesanother ball through theproper openingo" 12 up to a position it will engage fthe hiding ball 20,V asindic'ated in dotted linesin several places.

vThe It ball will Contact with that terminal or' stud 261and with the hiding ball 20 which, as already stated, is in contact` with the plunger.

2l. H'Ifherefore, a circuit isV completed and the bell sounds, indicating that It has caught one of the players.' Y

Now while ,It Vis endeavoring to catch a' player by trying the various openings'12,a,n otherplayer, who has hidden .his ball,v pushes thev head 24 of that plunger, he Vcan push yhis ball' outmof, vthepocket. by meansof thek plunger 21 over the shoulder 18. This ball will Athen descend by gravity into Vthe channel 16 and into the channel 15, these channels being inclined. The channel 15 extends under the opening 13 and Athe ball will enter the channel and strike a movable plate 34 which constitutes the goal.

rod 35, is held in positionby guides 36. This rod is connected as by a flexible connection 37 to a vbell clapper 38 and normally is held in inoperative position by a spring 39. The impact of the ball against the plate 34 will operate the clapper and it will sound against the same bell 33 showing that one of the players is In Free.

It will be seen that this game can be played kindoors and that it has all the featuresof the game hide-and-seek perfectly reproduced. VThe board is constructed of two parts not likely to get out of order, the playing pieces are convenient and practically indestructible and it requires very little mechanism and a simple system of wiring, all the terminals 26 being on one wire and all the terminals 23 being on another. The operation of getting In Free requires no mechanism as the ball comes against the goal post 34 by the action of gravity. This constitutes a simple and amusing game.

`Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but whatI vclaim is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a game board comprising aboard higher at one end-than at the other having a series of perforations therethrough, a plate underneath the board having a series ofpockets thereinv with which the perforations communicate, each pocket having a channel extending downwardly therefrom, said pockets being adapted toreceive game pieces inserted throughthe perforations, anelectric contact against which a conducting game piece rests when introduced into a pocket, a contact located above the first contact and in position to be engaged-by a second conducting game piece when` introduced into the channel far enough to engage the first game piece, an electric circuit connected with the second contact,` and Vmeans whereby, whentwo game pieces are in position in contact with each other in a pocket, thevcircuit will be completed by said game piecesand a signal will be given.

2. As an article of manufacture, a game'board comprising a-platehigher at oneend than at the other having a main channel extending down the plate anda series of branch channels therein, each branch'channelhaving a downwardly extending pocket at itsA end for the reception of a conducting game piece, an electric contact against which the game piece is held `by gravity, a second electric contact in the channel spaced from the first suiciently to insureY that the introduction of arsecond conducting game piece in contact with the 'first one will cause the second game' piece to engage'the second contact, a

battery, a signal device, a-circuit 'connected with the rst contact, and a `'circuit connected with the second contact, said circuits being connected with the signal device to operate it when the entire circuit is completed bythe contact of the two game pieces with the electrical contacts on the board.

3. As an article of manufacture, a game board comprising a slantingxboard having a series, 'of perforations therethrough, a plate underneath the board having a series of pockets therein, each pocket having a channel extending downwardly therefrom, said pockets being adapted to receive game pieces' inserted through the perforations, an electrical contact against which a metallic game piece rests when introduced into a pocket, a contact located above the rst contact and in position to be engaged by the second metallic game piece when introduced into a channel far enough toengage the first game piece, an electric circuit connected withjthe second contact, means whereby, when two gamepieces areinposition in contact with each other in a pocket, the circuit will be completed by said game pieces and a signal will be given, and mechanical means for operating the signal device when the first game piece is pushed out of its channel so asto run down the channels to the bottom ofy theboard.

4. As an article of manufacture, a game board comprising an inclined plate having a central channel and a series of branch channels therein, each branch channel having a downwardly extending pocket at its end for the reception of a metallicr game piece, an electric contact against `which thegame piece is held by gravity, a second electric contact inr they channel spacedzfrom completed by the contact of the two game pieces withr'theY electrical contacts on theboard, and mechanical means for operating the signal device whenl the first game piece is pushed out ofv its channel so as to run down the channels tothe bottom of the board. Y

5. As an article of manufacture, a boardfor a game to be played with metal balls comprising a plate located at aninclinationand having a channel extending longitudinally and branch channels extending upwardly therefrom, said branch channels havingfpockets for receiving game pieces, a goal located at the bottom ofthe main channel and movably mounted,- a bell, aclapper forr the bell, means for connecting thevclapper withthe goal, `whereby the motion of the goal will operate the clapper and sound the bell, 'two contacts in eachl pocket spaced apart such a distance that they` will-be electrically connected by twopballs located vin vthe pocket, andelectrical connections for sounding, the. bell electrically `when two balls are placed in a pocket in contact with eachother. 6. In a game, the combination of a` plate 1ocatedfatan inclination, a main channel extending down along the center thereof, Vbranch channels extending upwardly from the main channel and each having a downwardly extending pocket from the top thereof, game piecesy in the form of metallic balls, a signal bell, means wherebyy when a gamepiece runsV down a branch channel by gravity and down the main channel, the bell will be operated mechanically, andmeans whereby, when two of said balls are placed in any one ofthe pockets in contact with each other, said bell will operate electrically. y

' ALFRED WICKMAN. 

